Wild Thing
by Ravenclaw's Redhead
Summary: During Neal and Belle's journey to Rumplestiltskin's Castle during the missing year, they come across a seemingly abandoned cabin and decide to settle in for the night. Back in Storybrooke, a young girl and her three dogs look for some porridge. Introducing Goldilocks to Once Upon A Time. Oneshot.


After several days of traversing the Enchanted Forest's frozen terrain, Neal and Belle were growing desperate for respite. It was the middle of winter and they were still a day or two's walk from reaching their destination. The pair rarely spoke, each lost in their own thoughts and hoping that something in Rumplestiltskin's Castle would give them a clue as to how to find Rumple and bring him back. Eventually, they stumbled upon a small wooden cabin that looked a little worse for wear. Knowing that it was quite likely that this was the best shelter they'd be able to find in the middle of the forest, Belle stepped forward, reaching towards the doorknob, but Neal put a hand on her shoulder.

"Wait," he said quietly, "it might not be safe."

Scanning the forest floor, he searched for something to use as a weapon. Eventually, he settled on a club-like branch, picking it up and testing it for durability. It would have to do. Bracing himself in front of the door and brandishing the stick, he nodded at Belle to open the door. It slowly creaked open, a loud sound in the silent and snowy night, and Neal peered into the darkness, trying to identify any shadowy figures within the cabin. Hesitantly, he took several steps forward, entering the threshold. He motioned for Belle to follow behind him, panicking when she stepped on a loose floorboard that groaned in protest. After a quick yet thorough investigation, Neal deemed the cabin empty and the pair set about settling in for the night. A fire and several candles were lit, revealing the messy interior. The sink was filled with dirty bowls containing remnants of a once-sticky substance now hardened, the beds were unmade, and the whole cabin gave off the appearance of being well used but poorly taken care of. Belle made the beds upstairs while looking through them for anything suspicious, and then headed back down the wooden steps, spotting Neal crouched down and examining something on the floor. Upon closer inspection, she saw that the wooden floor was covered in animal tracks of different sizes, and some of them looked fresh.

"I think I've seen those in a book once," Belle said, closing her eyes and trying to remember. "Bears," she said in surprise, looking to Neal to plan their next move, but before they can say a word the door flies open, banging against the wall of the cabin loudly.

The pair scrambled to their feet, backing away from the entrance. A massive brown bear stood in the doorway, completely filling the frame with its gigantic size. It moved slowly into the room, seeming to grow even larger once inside the cabin, and growled menacingly at the intruders. Another bear followed, smaller than the first, and after a brief pause a young cub charges in, trying its best to be as fierce as its companions. The ground floor now seemed to be overflowing with brown fur and terrifying growling, and just when the cabin seemed full to bursting a short hooded figure entered through the front door, slamming it shut behind them.

"Play nice!" came a husky, feminine voice from under the hood, and the bears fall silent, settling around the woman Belle supposed was their master.

The figure was short and slender, and moved towards Belle and Neal in a strange way, keeping close to the ground in a predatory yet wary way. Neal stared at the advancing woman, tracking her with his eyes and planting himself in front of Belle. Halfway into the room, the figure stopped, lowering its hood.

The woman- _no, girl,_ Belle decided- does not match the powerful and mysterious voice she produced. The girl was young, probably around Henry's age. She had a massive head of curly golden-red hair that was matted in sections due to lack of proper care. Her skin was pale and sprinkled with freckles, and she looked underfed and yet surprisingly strong. Belle's gaze locked on to the girl's, and both froze as they stared at one another. The girl's eyes were small and blue, but with an almost unnatural shine to them. They looked as if they had sunken into her face, giving her an exhausted expression, but the strange light shone from them in spite of this, giving her a feral look. The girl's entire appearance made one think _wild_, and living alone in the forest with only bears for company didn't help her image.

"Who are you? What do you want?" The girl demanded, her voice harsh, but Belle can detect a layer of fear and something else underneath the accusatory tone.

"This is Belle," Neal began, gesturing towards Belle, who stepped out from behind him, attempting to look friendly. "And in this Realm I'm known as Baelfire," Neal finished, wanting to be honest but hoping that this girl would have no knowledge of his connection to his father. The girl's eyes narrowed and Neal bit the inside of his cheek. No such luck.

"The Dark One's lost son?" She questioned suspiciously, and the bear cub strutted in front of her and gave the two a stern look. Neal hesitated, then nodded.

"We're sorry for intruding," Belle cut in, attempting to make amends with the girl, "We didn't know you lived here. We've been traveling for days and we needed somewhere to rest."

"And you thought you'd just break in and make yourselves at home?" The girl sneered at Belle before returning her gaze to Neal. Every movement she made was controlled and precise, but sharp, and with a great deal of power behind it. "You are not welcome here, son of Rumplestiltskin," she growled, and as if on cue the bears rose to their feet and advanced towards the pair.

"Wait! Please!" Belle cried, looking for anything she could use to help protect her and Neal from the bears or to escape, but even her resourceful mind couldn't come up with a solution.

"I'm sorry for whatever my father has done to you!" Neal cried, and the girl laughed at his weak, clichéd attempt at escaping their fate. "But we can try to help you!" He added, and the girl paused. "We're going to his castle! We can try to undo the magic he used to hurt you!"

The bears froze and their growling ceased and in one sudden motion the girl was right in front of Neal. "You have magic?" She inquired sceptically, giving him and then Belle a once over as if trying to detect a trace of magical ability on them.

"No," Neal admitted, and the girl looked back over her shoulder at her bears, which continued towards them once more.

"He keeps things from the people he's cursed! We can find something to help you!" Belle added desperately, thinking back to her original time at Rumple's Castle. The girl paused in front of them, thinking it over. Eventually, she sighed.

"Very well. We will leave for the Castle tomorrow. My bears will accompany me. If you cannot find me something to undo the damage Rumplestiltskin has done to me and my family, at least I can rest easy knowing that you two will be eaten and I'll have first pick of all of the Dark One's treasures." With a shrug and a rather cruel smile, the girl turned and bounded up the stairs, her bears following her. Looking at one another in confusion and relief, Neal and Belle hesitated briefly before following the girl up the stairs and sitting across from her on one of the beds. They watched her prepare a bed for her three bears (how the bed didn't crash through the floor under all the weight seemed miraculous) before she turned to them.

"So, what's your name?" Belle asked the girl, still being friendly, and the girl scoffed in reply.

"I don't think so," she began with a smirk, "You aren't getting any information from me unless it's absolutely necessary. Call me…Goldilocks," she decides, tugging on a tangled strand of hair and giggling to herself briefly before scowling. "And get off my bed. I can't sleep on the other ones, but that one is just right…" she mumbled sleepily.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Merida Bowie walked through the main street of Storybrooke, her fingers wrapped around the leashes of her three dogs, when suddenly a bright light came flying towards her. As if waking up from a dream, she remembered her life before Storybrooke. Her parents, her brothers, the Dark One's evil curse, living alone in the forest with bears as company, the deaths, it all came flooding back, and she shuddered at the memories. How did she get here, and where was she anyway? Where was her family? Looking down, she saw three dogs before her. Two large golden labs sat in front of her, one slightly larger than the other, with a younger puppy between them. Merida stooped in front of them, taking the largest dog's face in her own. Gazing into its eyes, she couldn't help but notice something familiar. "…Dad?"

"Goldilocks?"


End file.
